Heresy
by Mundane Conversation
Summary: Told from the point of view of Elizabeth Weber, Angela's younger sister, and follows through all of the books. There is always more than one side to every story. Things happen that some people don't see...tales go untold.
1. Business

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters or ideas from the books Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer.**

I slouched in the back of the car, pouting. My music, turned on high to block out Jessica's incessant chatter from the driver's seat, eased away the melancholy of another unavoidable rainy day. My sister, annoyed that I wasn't contributing to the rather one-sided conversation, threw me a few exasperated looks from the passenger seat. I pretended to look out the window as we sped along the short stretch of highway to our high school.

I hated the drives to school with Jessica and Angela. I avoided it whenever possible and left early, walking the mile or so to school. However, I'd had a late start today and didn't have the time to trudge all the way to school in five minutes in the deluge - not that it wasn't always raining in Forks anyway.

"Lizzie!" Angela touched my shoulder. I jerked, startled out of my reverie.

"You looked like you were sleeping," she said, speaking, as always, as if she were talking to herself rather than another person.

"No, I'm awake," I answered. "Just thinking about how lucky I am that I have Jessica around to drive me on days like this."

The two of them couldn't mistake the edge in my voice. Angela's normal, easy smile was a thin line of disapproval, while Jessica just looked put out. She didn't understand why I disliked her. Of course, I'm sure she didn't notice her own tendency to dominate a conversation, either.

Just a few moments later, we pulled into the student parking lot of Forks High School. I slid my music player into my school bag regretfully, wishing I could lose myself in the thrashing of instruments for just a few moments longer.

I got out of the car without another word, nearly hitting Jessica with the door. I left her chatting animatedly at my sister, who cast a look over her shoulder at me as I walked away. I knew Angela worried about me, and the thought awakened a twinge of guilt. I banished it fiercely. Angela had perfect grades, and popular friends. She just didn't understand what it was like not to have that.

Milling through my bitter thoughts, I hardly noticed the torrential rain soaking me and everyone else in the student lot. I did notice, however, when something bright flashed just a few feet ahead. Looking up, I saw only a few people in black rain jackets hurrying towards the side entrance of the main building. When they turned into the doorway, though, I knew the cause of the bright light. It was their _skin_.

It was the Cullens.

I watched them slip gracefully inside, even the bulkiest of the three boys looking as if he were an exceptionally talented dancer. I quickened my step so as to reach the door as the last of them, the smaller of the two girls, passed through. The five of them never so much as glanced at me, but I couldn't help but stare just like everyone else always did.

They were painfully, chalkily pale – paler even than the lifelong residents of Forks, who hardly ever saw the sun. They could almost be albino, were it not for the lack of translucency in their skin; it was more like marble than paper. Flawless. Colorless. Their eyes were nearly black, but there was a slight ocher sheen that gave them a certain depth and warmth that you wouldn't associate with their cold demeanor.

At that moment, the slightest and fairest-haired of the boys, Jasper, turned fluidly - majestically - to look at me. I felt my face grow hot. I'd always felt a certain attraction to Jasper, though he was the quietest and most mysterious of the family, excluding perhaps his foster brother, Edward. Edward looked vaguely amused as he watched Jasper turn back around. He winked at Alice, the smaller girl, who frowned.

My mood crashed back down immediately. Jasper and Alice were inseparable – they'd been together since the family moved here two years ago. It wasn't incest or anything – Jasper and his twin sister, Rosalie, were the foster children of Dr. Cullen and his wife.

I watched sullenly as Jasper walked beside Alice. They weren't touching, but I could feel the emotion between them as if it were tangible. I knew I would never have had a chance with him anyway – after all, I'm a sophomore, he's a senior…I'm nothing special to look at, he's a young Adonis.

I nearly missed the turnoff into my homeroom as I glowered at the five perfect backs ahead of me. I slumped in my seat, wishing I could disappear forever and never have to come back to this dark, wet, cold town.

The morning passed swiftly, despite my mood. Suddenly, it was time for lunch. I was in the same shift as Angela, Jessica, and their friends, but luckily I had friends in the cafeteria as well. I was spared the embarrassment of sitting with my sister.

As I got my tray of food, I passed Angela's table and saw her talking to an unfamiliar girl. She had to be new, I realized – there were too few students in this school for there to be someone I was unfamiliar with. She was passably pretty, with long brown hair and clear skin. I walked more slowly, watching. I nearly laughed out loud at Eric and Mike, two boys who were friends of Angela's – they kept switching between glaring at each other and staring with obvious rapture at the new girl.

There was a clatter right behind me. I turned to see Alice Cullen returning her tray a foot or so away. Catching my eye, she smiled angelically for a brief second before walking towards the doors leading out of the cafeteria.

Dazed, I started to head back to my table, but stopped when I noticed Jessica's eyes on me. The new girl was staring in my direction as well, but I knew immediately that it was not me who held their attention – they soon turned back to gaze back towards the Cullens, who were sitting alone at a table across the cafeteria.

Much to Angela's surprise, I caught up to her in the hall after school.

"Are you getting a ride home with Jessica today?" I asked.

Angela looked around, and then shrugged. "I guess not. I don't know where she went. She was kind of distracted today, because of the new girl."

I secretly rejoiced that Angela had brought it up, so I didn't have to. "New girl?"

"Yeah - Her name's Bella. She's from Phoenix."

I whistled. "She's a long way from home." Angela knew I meant more than distance.

"Uh huh," she agreed as she opened the door to head into the wet, cold afternoon, but I could tell her thoughts were elsewhere. I clutched my school bag to my chest, protecting it from the heavy drops of rain falling from the sky. Looking across the parking lot, I saw the source of Angela's distraction. Leaning by his car a few yards away was Eric and his friend Ben Cheney. I had guessed for some time now that Angela had had a crush on Eric, but I'd never mentioned it to her. Eric had an easy familiarity, but always seemed a little tense. His personality made me a bit uneasy. Angela, however, seemed totally enraptured. It reminded me of how Eric and Mike had stared at Bella during lunch. The thought sobered me. Eric would probably be totally distracted by her – She was like a child's new toy. I scowled.

"Hi, Angela!" Ben called enthusiastically. She waved to him and Eric, who waved to her when Ben called her name. Not stopping to talk, the two of us left school grounds and headed down the road in silence, Angela wrapped in her thoughts and me in mine.


	2. Jealousy

_A/N: Hope you're all having a great October! Here's an update - expect one every few days to a week from now on!_

"Hey, Squirt!"

I stopped walking to homeroom and turned around, a grin on my face. I already knew who it was.

"Hey, Spike," I teased back as Mike Newton caught up with me. He was one of my sister's closest friends and Jessica's obsession. His light blonde hair was spiked impressively.

"How's the little kid doing today?" he asked in a mock-patronizing tone. I narrowed my eyes at him, still smiling.

Mike was like my adopted older brother. He'd always been nice to me, even when Angela was fed up with me. He managed to make me smile, even when I was in the blackest of moods.

"I'm fine. Hey, Jessica and Angela were talking about you yesterday on the phone."

Mike rolled his eyes with more annoyance than he usually showed when it came to Jessica's affections towards him. Before he had a chance to say anything, I gave a quick wave and went into my homeroom.

The next few days went by without incident, though I noticed Jessica and Angela spent more time apart than usual. I also noticed that Edward Cullen was missing from school. I wasn't bothered by it – the Cullens often were absent. They went backpacking all the time. It was odd, though, that the Cullens all had perfect grades – they often were commended by the principal for their work.

The weekend arrived at last. I had some studying to do, so on Saturday I headed to the library. Angela had gone out with Jessica for the day – I knew Jessica would spend the entire time talking about Mike, or perhaps Angela and Eric finally going out. I allowed myself to feel a small amount of pity for my ailing sister.

I walked briskly into the library to escape the foggy mist of rain enshrouding the town, but stopped as soon as I was through the doors. There, scanning the low shelves, was Bella Swan. I was filled with slight annoyance at the sight of her. Everyone was so distracted by her. Mike hadn't talked to me for the rest of the week after our brief encounter. All of Angela's other friends were also wrapped up in the arrival of this plain, normal girl. I sat down at a nearby table and glowered at her from behind my English notebook. Eric, I was sure, was also neglecting Angela, choosing to fawn over Bella. All of the boys in school were completely absorbed by her presence – she was a new toy, an expensive car, a shiny bauble.

As she walked out of the library, I tried to shake off my resentment. Bella had never said a word to me, never done anything to purposely irk me. It's not her fault that everyone in the school was obsessed with her. And it would pass soon, I reasoned, once the novelty of her had worn off.

Of course, I hardly got any studying done at the library that day. I eventually gave up and went home, walking out into the now freezing but dry wind. I would have called my mother to pick me up, but she was so busy with my five – year – old twin brothers that I hardly got to talk to her anymore.

She was there as I rushed eagerly out of the cold and into my brightly lit kitchen, struggling to keep Isaac and Joshua still in their chairs for lunch. She gave me a brief, tired smile as I passed her on my way upstairs.

I felt calmer once surrounded by the disarray of my small bedroom. I sat on my bed, pushing away the rejects of that morning's clothing selection process. Beneath them, you could see the pink of the blanket I'd had since I was four. It matched the bubblegum color of the walls and carpet.

A few moments later I heard Angela come in. Not even a second had passed since she'd walked through the door, and already I could hear my mother's voice pleading with her to take the twins out to get some exercise. I couldn't make out Angela's response, but her tone was as subdued as always, and I heard the scuffle of the boys getting ready for the excursion to the park down the road. I sighed, once again feeling guilty. I should go with my sister, to lend her a hand. But I didn't move. Instead, I sat on my bed and tried to distract myself – which was easy to do, now that I had Bella on my mind.

The dark mood caused by Bella Swan's arrival stayed with my all weekend long. By Monday, I was worn out from self-pity. I was distracted by schoolwork, and my first period class passed brightly. I didn't notice the change in the weather since the icy grey morning, but when I headed outside to go to Building 3 for my next class, I realized with an excited jolt that it was snowing. Like everyone in Forks, I loved the snow. It was much more fun than rain.

Up ahead of me, I saw Mike and Bella walking in the same direction as me. I was packing a snowball to lob at Mike's head (my aim wasn't perfect – I was sure Bella would most likely get hit) when someone nudged me. I looked over and saw Eric, grinning cheerfully.

"Hey there, kid," He joked, his eyes on the two walking up ahead.

"Hi, Eric." I kept packing the snow, rolling it between my hands.

Eric glanced at my pathetic snowball, and then at Mike. His grin widened.

"Let me handle this." He motioned for my snow. I relinquished it grudgingly. Eric soon had a large, formidable snowball in hand. He chucked it with lethal aim; it hit home. Mike yelped and reached for the back of his head, where the snowball had come apart on impact and fell into the collar of his jacket. Eric started walking quickly in the opposite direction. I tried hard not to give us away, looking down at the ground. I heard Bella giggle and tell Mike that she'd see him at lunch as Mike began to gather snow in his palms for a counterattack.


	3. Differences

_Hey all! Mundane here! Hope you're liking the story so far! It's sure fun to write. Have no fear - I won't be quitting on it in the middle! I'm trying to go very carefully by the book, so if you spy any mistakes (anachronisms, syntax errors, etc) please let me know, and I'll fix them asap!_

Thanks to the snow, everyone in school was cheerful and utterly distracted from academics. Between classes, you couldn't walk outside without being pelted. Everyone was soaked and exuberant – Even the Cullens, I noticed. Edward was back from wherever he had been, it seemed. The five of them were laughing just like everyone else, snow melting into their hair and clothes, making "Freezing and Sodden" look like a fashion category.

Mike especially seemed excited about the snow.

"Hey, Lizzie!" He greeted me as I walked to lunch, smiling hugely. The ice and snow in his hair had made the perfectly gelled spikes go limp. "We're having a huge snowball fight after school today. You're coming, right?"

I told him I would go, suddenly even more excited. A school-wide snowball fight would be awesome. I turned to look back at Mike before heading in the doors, but he had run to catch up to Bella and Jessica just ahead. I could already hear them talking animatedly about the snow. I was walking behind them, towards the food line, when I felt someone link their arm with mine.

"Hey, Liz!" It was my best friend, Vera Marshall. Her face was aglow, though she looked soaked through and her normally red hair was a muddled brown from the wet.

"Hi, Vera," I replied, my mood lifted by her cheery disposition. We followed Jessica, Mike, and Bella through the doors and into the lunch line. It was moving steadily when Bella stopped walking – I had to catch myself to keep from walking into her.

"Hello? Bella? What do you want?" Jessica asked her impatiently. Bella was staring at something in the cafeteria. I looked out through the door leading back to the tables, but saw nothing unusual.

"What's with her?" Mike asked Jessica. This seemed to wake Bella up.

"Nothing. I'll just get a soda today," she mumbled, picking up a can and following them as they got their food. I got what I wanted and went with Vera to our normal table, joining the rest of our lunch crowd.

I glanced at Bella a few times during lunch. She looked nauseated as she silently sipped her soda. Jessica, sitting beside her, seemed to have had forgotten the incident in line and obviously wasn't worried about her friend. Angela, sitting on the other side of Jessica, however, seemed to notice Bella's unease.

During lunch it started to rain, washing away the snow. Mike, all plans of a snowball fight ending, offered to give Angela and I a ride home so we wouldn't have to walk through the sludge and freezing rain. We readily accepted.

Mike's Suburban was easy to spot in the parking lot after school – it was arguably the biggest car there. I huddled into my jacket in the back seat, waiting impatiently for Mike to get in and turn the heater on. He finally did, and we pulled out of the lot.

Mike seemed distracted, and a little angry. I watched him curiously as he drove, gripping the steering wheel too hard. His forehead was creased.

"What's up with you, Mike?" I demanded. Angela, who was staring out the window, turned to look at him.

Mike glanced in the mirror, catching my eye, and sighed.

"I'm just worried about…Bella," he answered. I scowled.

"Why?" Angela asked, sounding kind and gentle, as always.

"It's just Cullen. I don't like the way he seemed to hate her so much on her first day."

I was surprised. I figured I was the only one at our school close-minded enough to hate someone right off the bat.

"And then today in Biology, he seemed friendly, but I couldn't help but wonder about the look in his eye," Mike went on. "He looked so…violent - I don't know - Intense. He's an odd sort, and I know you don't want to hear it, girls, because I'm sure you think he's 'gorgeous'…" Mike made quotation marks in the air with one hand, the other occupied with steering the car. I snorted. Edward Cullen wasn't bad, but he was no Jasper. Angela just sighed impatiently.

"I'm sure Edward means nothing by it," she said. "It was probably something completely unrelated that was bothering him last week."

"I just don't want Bella to –" he stopped.

"Get hurt?" Angela offered kindly. Of course, we both knew that Mike didn't want Bella to fall under Edward's spell, leaving no chance for him.

"Yeah."

We reached our house a moment later. Angela and I found my mother in the living room, trying to pick up Isaac and Josh's toys as they ran in circles around the couch. I noticed with some hesitation the cleanliness of the boys. There's no way they'd been spotless all day. Mom must have given them a bath earlier to prepare for…what?

"Where're we going tonight, Mom?" I asked warily.

She looked up at me, exasperated. "I remember telling you this morning, hun. We're going to the Calls' for dinner."

This was news to me, but it wasn't something to strike up an argument about. I didn't mind going to La Push for dinner. The Calls went to our church, and were my parents' best friends. Their son, Embry, was my age, and he would most likely have his friends over, so I would have people to hang out with.

"Mom, is it okay if I stay home? I have a lot of studying to do. You can leave the boys if you like – I'll babysit," Angela said.

My mother looked guilty as she conceded, but an evening with friends without the responsibility of two rambunctious little boys was too alluring for her to pass up.

My father came home from the church a few minutes later. He was a minister, which is how we came to know the Call family - and everyone else at the church - so well. As I was getting ready to leave, Angela told me about a beach trip to La Push that Mike was planning.

"You should invite the boys," She said. By "the boys", I knew she meant Embry and all of his friends - including Sam Uley. I scowled. Sam liked to act like he was in charge of everyone at La Push. I knew Embry resented him for it. On the other hand, all of the girls would enjoy Sam being there.

I promised Angela I would do so as I followed my parents out to the car.


	4. Edges

_A/N: Well hello there, world! I promised you an update this weekend, did I not? Well, here it is, for your wordy pleasure - Chapter 4! This is an important chapter, and it sets the scene for the entire fic. You may not see it yet, though! I hope it's enough to hold you over for a little while - I'm weeding out my schedule right now, so I should have time to update more often in the coming months. On another note - thanks so much for the amazing feedback! You guys are awesome. Let's see if this next piece fulfills your expectations! _  
_Expect another update by the end of next weekend, folks!_

"Looks like the roads are going to be pretty icy tomorrow morning," Mom observed as we drove down the winding road to La Push. The Calls lived just on the edge of First Beach, where it was bound to be colder than it was inland. Their house, as it came into view, looked inviting and warm, as always. It wasn't large, but it was well kept by Embry's family.

We all got out of the car hurriedly, eager to escape the freezing, wet air. Mr. Call opened the door for us before we'd even reached it, and we went inside gladly.

After the standard hugs and greetings, Mr. Call gave me a knowing look.

"The boys are upstairs, playing video games," he said, rolling his eyes as he smiled, as if sharing a private joke with me. I laughed politely. Mr. Call was very friendly, but more than a little cheesy.

I sighed to myself at the word "boys". So Quil and Jacob were already here, it seemed. Of course, I hadn't expected anything else. I jogged up the stairs and smiled as I saw the flashing lights and heard tinny noise coming from the open door at the end of the hall.

"Hi, guys," I said, poking my head in.

Embry swiveled his head to look at me for half a second, still flicking the thumbstick on his controller.

"Oh - hey," he said a few moments later, after turning back to the screen. I sat down on the floor beside Quil - who greeted me with a grin – since the beanbag chairs were occupied by Jacob and Embry. They both were frowning in concentration, trying to shoot down the other's fighter plane or something. I tried to pay attention, but my mind soon drifted.

I loved Embry's room – The high ceiling, walls, and floor were all brown wood, without paint. It almost reminded me of a cabin. Clothes were scattered across the bare floor, draped off the bed, and rolled up in a messy heap beside the older TV. The bed was really no more than a mattress on the floor (I never understood this one, but Embry seemed to like it better on the ground). There were a few posters on the wall for bands and sporting events. I didn't know what all of them were, but I recognized a few.

"You want a try?" Quil asked me chivalrously as Jacob finally succeeded in blowing up Embry's plane. When I shook my head, he wrestled Embry off of his bean bag and took his place, leaving Embry to sit by me as he and Jacob now shot at each other on the screen.

"So how've you been?" Embry asked. "Got a boyfriend yet?"

Jacob hooted, and I shoved him. He hardly had to shift to regain composure before pushing me playfully back.

"No. What about you – have you found a boyfriend yet?"

The boys laughed good-naturedly. It was nice having a bunch of guys who acted like they were my brothers, even though they could be idiots… and usually were.

The conversation moved to people the boys went to school with, all of whom were unfamiliar to me. They went to the high school on the reservation. I followed the chatter anyway, watching the too-bright light of the TV screen as Quil and Embry switched off against Jacob, who'd won every round so far.

After a while, however, I heard another car pull into the drive. The three guys groaned in unison. I cocked my head in question.

"It's the Clearwaters," Embry said. "Mom and Mrs. Clearwater teach together at the elementary school, and she invited them to dinner tonight." I heard the annoyance in his voice.

"Why's that so bad?"

Embry rolled his eyes. "Seth Clearwater, her son, is a really cool kid. He's only thirteen, but he's all right. His older sister, though…" he trailed off.

"…Just went through a pretty bad breakup," Jacob finished, turning to face me, since the game was paused. "We heard the gossip at school. It wasn't pretty." He made a face.

"That was nearly _five months_ ago!" Embry complained. "She needs to stop taking it out on everyone else."

Not answering him, Jacob continued with the explanation.

"Leah Clearwater's a year older than us – she was going out with this guy we know, Sam," he said. "You've met him. Sam broke it off a little before the school year started. Leah hasn't been the same since. She's pretty mean now…awkward to be around, hard to even look at."

I had met Sam. He'd come to one of the Calls' dinners not too long ago, and I'd hung out with him and the guys on a couple occasions.

"It's a shame, too," Quil said, his eyes still jovial but his grin transformed into a regretful frown. "She was one of the prettiest girls at school."

Embry took on Quil's characteristic grin, the expression looking surprisingly good on him. Embry was usually vaguely reserved, seeming detached in his emotions.

"Yeah, all the guys were jealous of Sam, even though he didn't even go to our school – "

"Hey."

It was the odd voice of someone not quite comfortable with its sound. I turned my head to look at the speaker, as did the three guys.

"Hey, Seth," Embry said, the others echoing his greeting. I gave the younger boy a brief smile as he walked in.

Seth's skin was fairly paler than the dark copper of Embry and his friends, seeming more like a tan from being out in the sun for a long time. His black hair, however, was the same as theirs – long, silky, and pulled into a simple ponytail at the base of his skull. He was significantly shorter than the other boys, which wasn't surprising – he was two years younger than us.

Seth smiled widely back, his posture casual and unassuming as he leaned on the doorframe.

"Oh, Seth, this is Lizzie," Embry said, clapping a hand down on my shoulder and pushing me affectionately.

"Hi, Lizzie - I'm Seth," He said politely, smiling wider as he stated the obvious. Charmed by his kind yet confident demeanor, I decided Jacob had been right when he'd said Seth was a nice person.

Seth then turned to Embry. "Your mom says dinner's ready -" He was cut off as the boys whooped and got up, Embry turning off the TV and game console as the rest of us filed out.

Mr. Call was a professional chef, so dinner at this house was always a pleasant affair. The anticipation of a relaxing meal faded into wariness, however, as I trudged down the stairs into the kitchen and saw the girl standing by the sink.

It was obviously Leah, Seth's older sister – her skin was the same dark tan and her pretty eyes were the same shape. She didn't have any of the same soft kindness as her brother, though. Her arms crossed tightly across her stomach and her mouth was tight with a frown, though she didn't look upset. The expression seemed to say, _just try to faze me. Nothing you can do to me can change me now._

It wasn't hard to believe that she was eighteen - in fact, she looked as if she could be twenty five. I thought of Embry's friend Sam Uley – at twenty, he was confident, serious, handsome, and utterly mature. It was sorrowful to see that he had turned this girl into such a miserable person.

By this time the rest of the guys had thundered down the stairs behind me, and I was swept into the adjacent dining room. Mr. Call had cooked a simple, delicious meal that we all enjoyed as we chatted. I sat between Quil and Jacob, who elbowed me simultaneously at regular intervals. Leah, who sat across from me, seemed to listen to the conversation of the adults, but didn't say a word. When I wasn't distracted by the annoying boys, I watched her curiously, wondering at her behavior. It didn't seem to me like the average post-breakup habits I'd seen with Jessica or Vera.

We left after everyone had finished eating, my mother finally feeling too guilty about leaving Angela with the twins to stay any longer.

I was far from surprised to see my sister calmly reading in the living room, the boys both asleep in their beds, when we got home.

I woke up to a startling brightness playing across my eyelids. I rose earlier than usual to look outside. The ground was sparkling with shiny ice and a fine layer of snow, the sky bright even though it was still a constant, unrelenting void of grey. I dreaded having to walk to school in it, but to my surprise there was an unfamiliar car in the driveway when I walked out of the house behind Angela.

"Ben?" She said as the driver side door opened, revealing Ben Cheney, Eric's friend. The happiness in her voice went beyond polite cheerfulness – it confused me. Eric wasn't in the car with Ben, so why would Angela be so happy to see him?

"Hey, Angela, hey Elizabeth," he said, grinning good-naturedly.

"Lizzie," I corrected him. "Hey, Ben."

"Want a ride?" He asked, gesturing towards his well cared-for tan Dodge Neon.

"Sure," Angela answered, speaking for both of us. "Thanks, Ben."

We pulled into the student parking lot rather early – not many people were there yet. Everyone must have been driving slowly to avoid an accident on the dangerously icy roads.

Not yet wanting to venture out into the freezing cold, we stayed in Ben's car as more people started to arrive. I noticed that Bella Swan had parked right beside us.

"We should get out and say hi to Bella," Angela said, and Ben agreed. I regretfully slid out of the back seat of the car, feeling the harsh air against my face. I saw Bella examining the snow chains on her ancient truck's tires.

"Angela! Ben!" Jessica called before we had even approached Bella. Jessica was standing with Mike and Eric across the lane, where Mike's Suburban was parked. Ben and Angela walked over to them, me following in the hope of feeling warmer by being near more people.

We'd hardly been there for a moment when a loud mechanical screech erupted from somewhere nearby, growing in volume until I caught sight of a large van just a few yards away, completely out of control. The brakes couldn't find purchase on the ice, I realized – the van was going to crash.

I realized with horror that Bella was standing by her truck's bed, directly in the path of the van. My mind froze - I couldn't look away from the scene, and I couldn't move.

The van suddenly stopped squealing as it crunched into the truck bed, and I couldn't see anything of the scene past its wide passenger side. There was a gratingly loud _thud _as the van stopped moving, settling against Bella's truck. To my amazement, Bella was not crushed beneath it, but was sprawled beside Ben's car, just barely in view from our vantage point. Edward Cullen was knelt over her, speaking to her. I hadn't even noticed he'd been beside her before the accident happened, but I hadn't really been paying attention.

Everyone was yelling. An ambulance arrived very quickly after that, but a bunch of people had to help to move the van out of the way before being able to get to Bella in order to put her on a stretcher. She didn't seem to have any visible injuries, but the drver of the van, a junior named Tyler Crowley, looked rather worse for the wear. We were assured by the teachers on the scene that no one had sustained any serious injuries.

Nonetheless, Jessica was in tears as the ambulance drove away. Almost the entire school was still out in the parking lot, huddled in small groups.

"I wonder where Cullen came from," Mike said finally, comforting Jessica awkwardly as she sobbed.


	5. Driver's Ed

A/N: Hey all, Mundane speaking! So sorry, it's been a while - you see, I was again overloaded with work for the last couple of weeks, and to top it off, I had a horrible cold. I got a ton of stuff done today, so I should have more time to work on an update. I won't be working on it at all at the end of the week, however, due to it being Thanksgiving and all. There will probably be one to two updates more by Christmas/New Year's. I also regret to inform you that I struggled through writer's block to write this chapter, so bear that in mind as you read. I know it's a shorter one - due to the writer's block, again. And may I also say that there is a disappointing alert/favorite - to -review ratio. If you like what's going on or have something to comment on/question, please say something! feedback is important! To all those who have reviewed - thanks so much!

I shivered in my thick down coat, wishing with every step down the icy road that the accident hadn't happened, so everyone wouldn't have rushed off to the hospital and I would have a ride home. _And so Bella wouldn't be potentially injured_, I reminded myself mentally, but this had been an afterthought. All I could think about now was how cold I was, all guilt aside.

The road was quiet; only a few cars went by in the first ten minutes of the hellish walk. The silence of the road was unnerving. I started to hum to myself, but my teeth were chattering so violently that I soon gave it up. Everything was silent for a few more minutes, until a car just behind me honked suddenly and loudly, making me jump. I hadn't heard it approach. I turned quickly and saw a black sedan grumbling to a halt beside me, tires crunching on the thinner ice at the side of the road. Heart pounding, I peered in vain through the glass of the window, but couldn't see anyone inside. Finally, the passenger side window rolled down. I let out a bark of harsh laughter, fear dissipating in my frosty gust of breath as I caught sight of the familiar, underage driver.

"Hey, Lizzie! Hop in!" Jacob called from the driver's seat, leaning his head to see over Embry, who was in the passenger seat.

I walked over to the open window, but didn't attempt to open the door. Narrowing my eyes, I leaned slightly in through the opening, luxuriating in the warmth brushing my face from inside the car.

"You scared the crap out of me!" I accused, my heart still pounding. Jacob just laughed. I heard a chuckle from the back seat and recognized it as Quil's characteristic, goofy laughter.

"Hop in!" Jake said again, ignoring my miffed tone.

I considered this possibility for a moment, but the idea of getting in a car with the easily distracted, careless Jacob on an icy road terrified the discomfort of the cold right out of me.

"No thanks….I'd rather walk," I offered feebly. To cover up the stupid response, I once again took up the offense. "What are you doing in Forks, anyways?"

"Well we just got out of school, obviously, and were just driving around."

"You shouldn't be_driving _at all," I reminded him. Jake's grin widened.

"Someone has to do it. My dad can't drive anymore, remember?'

I'd forgotten that. I rationalized that Jake had at least _some _right to be behind the wheel, in this case.

"So where're we walking?" Embry asked, lean arm casually dangling over the edge of the fully opened window.

"I'll probably go to Jessica's and check with her and my sister, and see how Bella's doing," I responded, wincing as I thought about the potential walk ahead of me. Jessica lived much further form the school than I did.

"Who's Bella?" Embry asked, confused.

"Do you mean Bella Swan? She's in town?" Jacob asked, suddenly intensely curious. I nodded.

"I know her – she used to visit here in the summers, and she'd hang out with me and my sisters. Her dad, Charlie, is good friends with mine."

"I've never heard of her," Embry said. Quil hadn't either. It seemed that Bella didn't make it out to La Push very often. I grimaced inwardly at the relief I felt because this. At least I had some friends who weren't enraptured by her.

"Well, Bella – wait, you didn't hear?"

Jacob's brow furrowed. "Hear what?"

I blinked. So they hadn't heard about the accident. I sighed resignedly and yanked open the car door. It was too cold to stand still outside long enough to tell a story. Welcome warmth washed over me as I slid into the backseat, Quil scooting over to accommodate me.

"So what happened?" Embry asked, rolling up his window.

I told them the story quickly, eager to let them know that unless I got to Jessica's, I would never find out if everyone was okay.

"Wow, that's rough," Quil said. I looked out the window, still feeling guilty about wanting a hospital patient to have less friends. I noticed that the trees alongside the road were moving at an uncharacteristically fast pace.

"Hey! Where are we going? I wanted to _walk_, remember?" The prospect seemed less appealing, now that I was in a warm comfortable car.

"You wanted to go to Jessica's, remember?" Jacob said. "And you won't know anything about the condition of the kids in the crash if you don't get there – I'm helping you out!"

Jessica gave Angela and I a ride home just before dinner. It seemed getting a ride with the La Push boys had been a good idea – I got there just before Jessica and Angela were about to leave. It seemed that Ben, Eric, and Mike had left a little while before. I learned during teh drive taht everyone who had been involved in the accident was okay.

There was a strange car parked in front of our small, generic two-story home. We entered through the front door as Jessica called last-minute chatter out of the window at my sister, who turned and nodded and smiled even as she was shutting the door. My brothers, who were watching cartoons on the large living room television, hardly looked up from where they were sprawled as we entered. I heard my mother's conversational tone from the kitchen and wondered if she was on the phone. There was a break in the flow of her voice as I shut the door behind me.

"Angela, Lizzie, come in here for a minute."

We walked into the kitchen and found my mother sitting at the table with Mrs. Clearwater, whom I recognized from dinner last night. With her were two others I also recognized from the same dinner – Seth and Leah.

I mirrored Angela's bright, polite smile and greeted them.

"Liz, why don't you and your sister take Seth and Leah and go do something fun?" Mom said.

_What is this, a play date for five-year-olds?_ I wondered, but didn't say anything.

"Sure," Angela responded, gesturing to the Clearwater kids. I trailed behind them as we left the kitchen. A sudden idea hit me, and I blurted it out without thinking.

"Seth, do you want to go for a walk?" I asked on a low voice, desperate for any way to get out of the imminent awkward situation.

"Uh, sure."

I led him to the front door and yanked it open, stopping as the frosty air hit my face.

"I…forgot it was cold," I told Seth stupidly. He cracked an amused smile.

"I don't mind, if you still want to walk."

_Hmmm,_ I deliberated mentally. _Stay inside and watch my sister try to make conversation with Leah Clearwater, or brave the cold and go for a walk with Seth?_

"Let's go," I told him.


	6. In Common

_A/N: Holy crap, it's been a while! So sorry for the delay - you see, I've been having major computer issues lately, and my beloved laptop was pretty much unusable for a while! It was terrible, and it prevented me from working on a new chapter. I was finally able to get it up and running again, and here we are! A little post - holiday/New Year's gift for all of your readers and reviewers your insight is sooo appreciated! Let me know what you think of this bit._

"Are we training for a marathon?" Seth asked lightly as he kept pace with me, chin bent into the neck of his jacket to stay warm.

"Oh, ah, sorry," I responded, slowing my power walk to a more leisurely stroll. "I figured we'd walk to the Thriftway not too far away and grab some chips or something."

"Sounds good."

We walked in silence for a few moments before Seth sighed and stopped walking. I glanced at him, confused, before a shiver overtook my body.

"Brr. Can we not stop, please? We'll freeze."

"Lizzie…" He started, but resumed walking.

"Uh huh?" I crossed my arms to retain body heat.

"I know you've heard some stuff about my sister. Did you just ask to go for a walk to get out of the house while she was there?"

I looked up from my feet, where my eyes had locked when he'd started speaking. The natural intensity of his dark brown eyes unsettled me slightly. My gaze immediately returned to my hand-me-down boots.

"No, of course not. I mean – well, obviously I've heard that she's been out of it lately. Oh, no, that sounds like she went loopy or something. Just ignore me, please. No, that's not why we're walking at all." My cheeks were burning. He grinned.

"No, you pretty much hit the mark. Leah… went loopy, it's true."

"Well, it's perfectly natural – well maybe not natural, but understandable at least – breakups are hard…"

"No, it's not natural, you're right. Everything about Leah changed when she and Sam broke up. She shut down, but at the same time lashed out – everything was an irritation, everyone an enemy. It made me want to find Sam and hurt him for what he did to her."

"I can't even imagine. She was more than heartbroken."

"Well given the circumstances, it's not astounding."

"Circumstances…? What do you mean?" I shook my head as I said it. "But it's none of my business, I know. You don't have to say."

"Everyone who knew about Leah and Sam knows the story, so I don't see the harm in telling you. You see, Sam and Leah started going out when Leah was a freshman. He was way older, but most of the families in La Push know each other, So we'd known Sam for ages. He was a total gentleman and he and Leah really, really liked each other. They pretty much fell in love. But – and this is the totally deranged part – after they'd been together almost a year, Sam disappeared all of a sudden. It was like he was at our house, watching a movie with Leah in the living room, and the next day he was nowhere to be found."

"That's _crazy_," I said, awed. "I can't even imagine how awful that was for Leah."

"Neither can I. She was distraught. All she could do was hound the forest rangers, the police, and anyone else who could possibly help find him. She and Mrs. Uley, Sam's mom, were search-party fiends for a while. Everyone had a different story about the reason behind his disappearance, but almost everyone agreed that it wasn't for any good reason. Leah was in absolute despair for a while, but it finally ended, because Sam came back." Seth paused for a moment.

"Oh. But that should have been a happy ending, then. I assume that there's more?"

"There is – but we're at the Thriftway."

"Oh!" I hadn't noticed that we'd made it the few blocks to the store. We got inside, thankful for the warmth. Seth didn't continue the story once we started shopping, and I didn't prompt him. Grabbing a few bags of chips and a small case of soda, I led the way to the checkout line. Once the food had been swiped and bagged, Seth grabbed them from the counter. When I protested him carrying all of it the whole way, he brushed it off and distracted me by continuing the story.

"This is the part that a lot of people don't know much about. Leah was ecstatic about Sam's return. But he'd changed while he was away. He told no one about where he'd gone or what was different, but his whole being was altered. He and Leah started fighting a lot. It was so hard for them, but they stuck it out. The distance had been created, but they were doing their best to overcome whatever it was that Sam had done. They loved each other that much."

"But there's still more."

"Yes, and all of the old women gossip about this last bit to this day. Several months after Sam's return, our cousin Emily came to visit. She and Leah were always like sisters, so they wanted to spend all of their time together while Emily was here. So when Sam wanted to see Leah, he had to come by the house.

The first time Sam saw Emily, it was like he'd been hit by something. I was in the room when they met. He looked like he was about to keel over. I knew it was all over then, but of course Leah refused to see it and let go. It was a few weeks before they formally parted ways, but I knew in that moment that Sam would never feel anything for Leah again." His voice was bitter.

"He left Leah for your _cousin_?" I gasped in surprise and concern. "That's awful, and inexcusable."

"I know. But Sam didn't care, and after a while, neither did Emily. They're together to this day."

"I would never forgive her," I said.

"Well then, you and Leah are very similar. She never forgave Emily, or Sam - or the entire world, actually. She's mad at everybody these days," Seth said. "I almost think that if she had someone to talk to, she wouldn't be so terrible. But she drove all of her friends away after a while." He looked at me and smiled, but it wasn't a polite smile, or one meant to brush off everything he'd told me. It was a friendly, apologetic smile – as if he were sorry for telling me what he did.

"So now you know why she's like that. I'm not making excuses for her, but I'm explaining that it wasn't a normal breakup. Do you get it?"

"Of course I do. It wasn't just a breakup – it was a betrayal. I don't know how I'd ever go on after something like that."

"Yeah, exactly."

We'd reached the house by then. I opened the door and took off my coat, slinging it on an unoccupied hook on the wall. When Seth took off his jacket, I did the same with it. Angela called to me from the living room, and I reached for the bag of food, but Seth shook his head. I sighed and followed him into the room.

He took on an exaggerated stagger as he entered, grunting as he set the bag down on the coffee table.

"Look what your sister made me carry the whole way home!" He said to Angela, wiping imaginary sweat off of his brow as he collapsed onto the free space on the couch beside Leah. He grinned good-naturedly up at me.

"Oh, yes. You're quite the young warrior," I said. "Lugging that entire bag of potato chips all the way down the road."

The teasing ended and we all gathered awkwardly around the table to munch on the food.


	7. Paying Attention

_A/N: hello, lovelies! So sorry for the delay - I could give the same old schoolwork/dead computer excuse, but I think I've used them all up! It's simply hard to keep myself on track. This is an important and interesting chapter (or at least it was for me_) _so pay attention and critique! Your reviews are so appreciated, and I'll be sure to give a shout-out to all of my reviewers in the next update._

_And, since the theme today seems to be paying attention, I have a little contest for you all! None of you seemed to catch an error in Chapter 4 that I just cought and fixed last week - and tehre's a related error that's still unedited in teh same chapter! If you can find one or the other, you'll get the net update before I reveal it to the general public (and if you find BOTH, you'll get the next TWO)!! So open your eyes a bit wider and check it out._

_Anyways, this one's slightly longer than the last few - I felt like such a long wait deserved a little extra effort on my part. Hope you enjoy : _

My smile dropped off of my face as soon as the door had swung shut behind the last of the Clearwaters just before dinner.

"What were they doing here?" I asked my mother as she scooped up armfuls of abandoned toys from where the twins had left them on the living room floor. She glanced up at me briefly.

"Sue wanted to borrow my special pasta pot – you know the one I'm talking about – and we just got to talking. Why? Do you not like the kids?"

"No, no. They're fine," I responded.

"Oh, I'm glad. That Leah is a serious one, isn't she? Beautiful, though."

The banging of the front door, signaling my father's arrival home, prevented me front responding.

A grainy, low-quality version of my favorite song roused me from deep sleep into a rather delirious half-wakefulness. After a few moments, I realized it was my cell phone ringing. I groaned and grabbed it off the bedside table, flicking it open with annoyance.

"Hello?" I mumbled.

"Lizzie! Want to go dirt biking with us?"

"Embry, did you seriously call me at nine in the morning just to ask me that?"

I heard a few voices in the background and a slight scuffle. My eyes narrowed and I grew fully awake.

"Embry? Hello…?"

"Yeah… Yeah, sorry, Liz," Embry said, "But we have stuff to tell you, and Jake totally fixed up my old bike… And besides, you haven't come with us in _forever. _Please? And my man - "

"And it's only supposed to be sunny and warm until early afternoon!"

I recognized Quil's voice cutting in over Embry's. Glancing out the window, I saw that the sun was, in fact, shining on the greenish grass and brand new buds.

"Fine, fine - what better things would I have to do on a Sunday than watch you guys try to break your necks?" _Study for an English exam, call Vera, Look after the twins… _

"Awesome! We'll pick you up in a few." He hung up.

Twenty minutes later, an unfamiliar silver pickup pulled into my driveway. I slid into the back seat, squishing Quil and Jacob, much to their chagrin. Embry smiled happily at me from the passenger seat, as did Seth, who was in the center. Driving the pickup was, to my surprise, Leah. She glanced back to make sure everyone was settled, offering no more greeting than that before backing out and starting down the street.

I was relieved to see that conversation wasn't made awkward with Leah there, but she didn't add to it. The three older boys chattered animatedly about the recent work done on the bike, Seth watching them with a hilarious amount of concentration. It was obvious that he really admired them.

I listened to them talk for a while, but soon my mind drifted off. I stared out the small window at the blissfully sunny day for the majority of the half-hour ride to the edge of the woods, where Embry had set up the dirt-bike course last year.

Finally we reached the tiny side-road that led to the track. Leah pulled off to the shoulder of the road, the truck too big to fit down the narrow path. She stayed in the cab even after cutting the engine, the boys scrambling over me and one another to get to the truck bed, where the impressive lime-green dirt bike, Embry's pride and joy, waited.

Seth and I stood together off to the side. I was too awkward and he was too young and small to be of much help. Embry and Jacob climbed into the truck and prepared to lift the bike out of the truck bed with the help of Quil, who stayed on the ground to receive most of the bike's weight as the two others got onto the ground.

Seth gave me another warm smile, and I couldn't help but smile back. The boys had grabbed ahold of the glistening bike and were moving forward, Quil reaching his arms out slightly to help steady it if necessary. I walked over to him, out of Seth's earshot.

"Quil," I murmured, "What is _she _doing here?"

It took Quil a moment to tear a fraction of his concentration away from the bike, and he still didn't look at me when he responded.

"Lizzie…I'm kind of trying to pay attention here…Embry will have my head if anything happens to his bike."

"Sorry, but it's not like I'll get another chance to ask."

"Billy sold the red pickup, remember? This is Harry's truck, and he only ever lets Leah -"

He cut off as Jacob shouted and let go of the bike with incredible speed, snapping his hands away so quickly that the force propelled the bike out of Embry's hands as well. It crashed against the truck bed and nosedived right at Quil. I managed to jump out of the way, but Quil, who hadn't been concentrating fully, took the full force of the falling bike in the face and chest. He collapsed to the roadside, the bike falling on top of him.

"Quil!" Embry yelled, leaping out of the truck and yanking the bike off of his friend with some effort and Jacob's help. Seth came running over from the other side of the truck, nearly being hit with Leah's door as she threw it open.

"What was -" The shout died on her lips before she could complete it, and her hand flew to her mouth.

I stared at Quil. His nose was bleeding, and he blinked his half-closed eyes very slowly, as if he was trying to stare at the sun.

"Dude, are you okay?" Embry breathed, panting slightly from having to lift the bike so quickly.

"Y-Yeah." He tried to sit up, but hissed in pain and lay back down quickly. "No. I think there's something wrong with my leg."

"It's probably broken." I hadn't realized Leah had come up behind me, and I jumped at the close sound of her voice. It helped to clear my head, and I suddenly felt like wailing as if I were a baby.

"Quil, I'm so sorry!" I said, my voice ragged with unshed tears of guilt.

"No…No worries," he breathed back, shutting his eyes. I shook my head.

"Yes, worries, you idiot! We need an ambulance! Does anyone have a cell phone?"

Everyone shook their heads. I silently cursed myself for leaving my own in the charger that morning.

"Well then, Leah, you'll have to drive into that last town and find a phone. It's only a few minutes away, so it'll be faster than driving all the way to the hospital ourselves." Driven by the guilt and fear that seemed to course through my veins instead of blood, I turned to her. "I'll go with you. The guys will stay with Quil."_And I don't think I can stand being around him for another second until he's good and angry at me for my stupidity, _I thought silently.

"Alright, come on then," Leah said, starting towards the driver's side. I ran to the passenger door, getting in at the same time she did. Jacob shut the back of the truck just as Leah started the engine. We pulled off of the shoulder and made a wide U-turn into the opposite lane, heading back towards the last town we'd passed through.

Gripping the handle on the truck door to stop my hands from shaking, I heard Leah let out a deep breath. This silver truck was a thousand times quieter than Jacob's old, roaring monster of a vehicle – the pickup that now belonged to Bella Swan, I realized.

"He'll be fine," Leah said quietly. It sounded like a statement of fact, but I supposed it was meant to be reassuring.

"Yeah," I responded, letting out a deep breath of my own.

"Good job keeping everyone organized."

"Thanks," I said, not realizing that I had. I smiled weakly at her, and the corners of her mouth turned up in obligation. She barely glanced at me.

"Yeah, even though it was pretty much your fault that the bike fell on him anyways."

Mortification burned in my face. I couldn't believe she'd just said that. Blinking at her, I said, "What?"

"You were kind of distracting him."

"I was just trying to ask a question," I mumbled, knowing that this rude girl was absolutely correct. But I was already guilty enough. Did she have to make it worse?

This was going to be a long car ride.


	8. Smiles

_A/N: Hey all! I was going to publish this update on Friday since it was the last day of the month (and my last update was on January 31st) but I got completely sidetracked. The next update will be on March 31st, hopefully, and we'll continue it in this way until the story is finished. Have any of you caught the errors I made in Chapter 4? Remember the prize if you do! One of the errors I fixed, but one is still there for you to catch! Ill give you a clue next time if no one catches them._

We sat in silence for several moments, Leah's eyes on the road and mine ready to roll back into my head with shame.

"I take a left here, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said quietly. After a moment, Leah spoke again.

"I don't come to Forks too much. I don't really like it here. La Push is better, but it's not great either."

"Uh-huh," I responded.

Leah glanced at the sky. "Man, it sure is dreary."

"Most people try to make _pleasant _conversation, not depressing!" I snapped before I could stop myself. To my suprise, Leah chuckled

"Yep, they do," she said. "But some people want to have a _real _conversation, not a pleasant one."

I rolled my eyes. "You call this a pleasant conversation?"

"It's better than, 'Oh, look how pretty the clouds are today! Isn't the world lovely??'" She spat out the high, chipper tone she'd adopted on the last syllable.

I tried to keep the next remark in, but failed. "A better conversation would be about why you're so rude."

"I'm _not _rude! What you just said was rude."

"I can't believe this."

"What?"

"We just met, and we're already at each other's throat."

"Maybe it's because of your rudeness."

"Maybe it's because you insulted me right off the bat."

"Maybe it's because you pushed Quil in the way of the bike."

At this point, we were both giggling, but my eyes widened at this even as I laughed. "Hey!"

"All right, all right, we're here."

It would seem that we'd reached a gas station. I watched Leah's face as we pulled into a spot and got out of the truck. It seemed just a bit lighter, her pleasant features all the more beautiful without the tension that was always painted on. It gradually reappeared as we went into the gas station and she spoke to the cashier.

The gruff-looking man behind the counter readily allowed us to use his phone when we told him what had happened. Apparently he was a dirtbike enthusiast himself.

After calling Quil's parents and getting an ambulance, Leah and I went back to the truck and drove to the dirtbike path in relative silence, both sobered by the phone calls. By the time we'd reached the site again, the ambulance was just arriving.

"It's a good thing he got hurt here instead of on the trail," a paramedic informed us as we stood off to the side, watching Quil get loaded into the ambulance on a stretcher. "If he'd been out in the woods somewhere, it would ahve been harder to find him." All five of us nodded, eyes still following the ambulance even as it drove away.

We followed the ambulance in the truck to the hospital after we all decided to stay, at least until we talked to Quil. I was suprised to see Dr. Cullen follow Quil into a room, his angelic features covered by a mask that he was removing. With him in close proximity, the hospital started to feel like the set for a too-perfectly casted soap opera. Suddenly restless, I watched the others to distract myself.

Jacob and Embry seemed to have relaxed considerably - they were going head-to-head on the video game console in the children's area, squatting on tiny stools that made them look like hysterical giants as they watched the brightly-colored graphics on the screen. Seth sat beside me on the uncomfortable waiting-room couch, lost in thought. Leah was across the area in a wooden-armed chair, reading a magazine with her brow furrowed in concentration. I sighed and reached for a magazine myself, studying it without much enthusiasm. Boredom crept around the edges of the articles, causing my guilt levels to spike.

I heard someone clear their throat elegantly, a whisper of their majestic voice sneaking through and capturing all of our attention. I saw Leah stiffen and blink, but she didn't look up from her magazine. I wanted to narrow my eyes at her, but I knew she wouldn't notice. instead, I turned to look at Dr. Cullen, as did all the boys.

"Good afternoon," he said warmly, a pleasant smile resting on his face.

"'Afternoon," we all responded. Dr. Cullen's glowing, beautiful features captured all of our attention, trumped only by his addictive, velvet voice. I found myself slightly disoriented.

"How's Quil?" Jacob asked. Of course, he was probably not affected by Dr. Cullen in the same way I was, but his attractiveness must still be blatantly obvious to the boys as well. Leah finally looked up.

"Your friend is just fine," he said. "You can go ahead and see him if like."

We all filed into Quil's room immediately. Aside from being a little pale and several pounds heavier from the impressive cast that now adorned his leg, he looked pretty good. He smiled sleepily, probably exhausted and heavily medicated.

"Check out my compound fracture," he said, lifting his leg a bit.

"The girls will love your battle scars," Embry quipped, "But be sure not to tell them that you didn't get it actually RIDING the bike."

"They better!" Quil laughed.

"Excuse me." A young nurse poked her head into the room, causing the guys to elbow each other in what they probably thought was a sly manner. I caught Leah's annoyed look as I rolled my eyes, and we grinned at each other.

The woman appeared not to notice any of us. "Quil, your parents are here. They can take you home after we talk to them."

"Sweet!" Quil said.

"I guess that's our cue," Jacob said, "unless you need us for something."

"Nah, go ahead. Catch you guys at school. Bye, Lizzie."

We left the hospital and headed out to truck, deciding in the parking lot to grab a bite to eat at the nearby diner instead of going straight home. It was nearly midafternoon, so we were all starving.

I realized that Seth hadn't said anything at the hospital, and wondered if he'd been shaken up by the accident. Nudging him in the truck, I gave him a reassuring smile. He grinned briefly back.


	9. Mysterious Gaps

_A/N: FINALLY, an update! I was going to publish this yesterday, but the staff of the Twilight Lexicon decided to have a little fun with their site for April Fool_'s _Day. While it was a really interesting joke, it meant that I couldn't access their wealth of information on the series, so I couldn't check for anachronisms or details I had missed. I didn't want this next update to be anything less than perfect!_

_I also wanted to thank those who have reviewed this story - The Shadow 111, liveurlifexx3, ohxmyxria, bree123, prettypinkbookworm, Wormy40, and migamoo !! Thanks so much for your input! It's really what keeps me going, so keep reviewing! And as for those of you who have not reviewed... wags finger _

_I also promised a clue for my little contest to see who can spot my mistakes in Chapter 4! I hope this hint isn't too obvious...Try remembering what I said about Leah before, and what it says now! If you can figure it out, you get the next update early! If you can figure out the other mistake (which does NOT have to do with Leah but is the same kind of error) you will get both this update early AND the next one, so get on it! _

"He seems no worse for the wear," Embry offered, obviously trying to console me. I picked morosely at my salad. Since we'd left the hospital we'd tried to discuss other things besides Quil, but the conversation kept turning back to him.

"He'll forgive you, I'm sure," said Leah from across the table. Jacob looked up sharply from his burger.

"'Course he will. Why even suggest that he wouldn't?" He asked.

"I didn't," Leah practically hissed through her teeth, defenses up. "I was trying to be helpful."

"Well, you sure aren't being successful," he muttered.

"Guys," Seth broke in above them both, surprising everyone. Although he'd been a casual, confident kid before the accident, he'd retreated into his own mind for the entire day.

My eyes rose finally from my food, and I saw the kindly waitress waiting for us to place our dessert orders. I was no longer hungry, but the guys each ordered cheesecake and ice cream, and Leah got coffee.

"We should go hang out with Quil tomorrow," Jacob said to Embry.

"Yeah. Lizzie, we'll pick you up."

"Okay," I agreed. I still felt guilty, but I would never pass up time with the guys. It surprised me how much we'd been hanging out recently, but I liked it.

The boys received and wolfed down their food in the same instant. We paid with a few crumpled bills and walked in a clump back to the truck, Leah always ahead of us lest someone think she actually enjoyed our company.

I was the first to be dropped off.

"See you tomorrow, then," Embry said out of his open passenger side window. I gave him a little wave as he rolled it up. Just before it closed completely and a second after I turned away, I heard a howl of laughter from within the vehicle.

"Elizabeth Ann Weber. Why didn't you call me?"

I winced as I shut the front door behind me, turning to face the wrath of my mother. It would seem that she had had some time on her hands to devise a particularly scathing rant, since the twins had been at a friend's house all afternoon.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"I thought you would be gone until two at the latest, and then I come to find out that there had been an accident from Embry's mother – I even called your cell phone, only to hear it ring in the kitchen! The reason your father and I agreed to let you have that thing is so we could reach you, and you don't even keep it with you - and _then_ you didn't come home until dinnertime!"

She was still yelling, but I saw the usual distraction flash in her eyes, dulling the anger. I was sure the words "nearly dinnertime" had reminded her that it was time to go pick up the boys. If I played my cards right, I could probably end the rant now.

"I'm really, _really _sorry, Mom. It won't happen again." I inched my way towards the kitchen. "But you'll be glad to know that everyone is all right."

Seemingly placated, my mother's face smoothed out. "I'm glad. You weren't riding one of those bikes, were you? They're dangerous!"

"No, don't worry. I was just planning on watching."

"Alright, well, I have to go pick up the Terrible Twosome." She smiled then, andI could see the tiredness in it.

"Okay. I'll start dinner."

She reached to give me a quick hug before she left. "Thanks, Sweetie."

As I was breaking up the hamburger meat for tacos, my phone, plugged into the wall outlet above the kitchen counter, started going off. Ears hurt, as always, by the poor quality of the ringtone, I reached over and flipped it open without checking to see who was calling.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lizzie. It's Seth."

"Seth?" I glanced at the unfamiliar number on my phone's screen. "Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing…sorry for bugging you. Jacob gave me your number."

"That's OK." I didn't mind – Seth was a really nice kid.

"So, uh -" he cut off suddenly, as if something had distracted him. I waited.

"Oh, man," Seth said, his voice a little distant. I assumed he was talking to someone in the room. "I had no idea – no, he didn't tell me! Why would he? It's none of my business!" his voice had turned scornful.

"Uh, Seth?" I wondered if he'd forgotten about me.

"Yeah. Hey, Lizzie? I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Alright. See you tomorrow."

"See you." Click.

_That was weird_. What was Seth about to say?

I didn't think about it for too long, since the twins soon ran, laughing and yelling, through the door.

Anyone with friends on the reservation knew about Quil's accident, so it was the talk of the school for a few days. On Wednesday, however, everyone's mind seemed to be on something else.

While trying to get down the hall fast enough after English to follow Jasper Hale to his next class, I was ambushed by Vera.

"Guess what!" She was nearly panting with excitement. For some reason, I felt nervous.

"…What?"

"Edward "The Sex God" Cullen – stop making that face – and Bella "The New Girl" Swan are going out now!"

I blinked at her. I hadn't even known that Bella Swan and Edward Cullen even knew each other. But now, come to think of it, wasn't Jessica going on a few days ago on the way to school about how Bella had started to sit with Edward at lunch? I'd been trying to tune her out, so the snippet of conversation hadn't come to mind until now. I hadn't even noticed the change in seating arrangements after Bella's original novelty wore off and people started paying less attention to her.

"But that doesn't make any sense," I finally said.

"I know! That's what I said! He turned Jessica Stanley down, for Christ's sake. Bella's not nearly as interesting and pretty as Jessica."

I had to disagree. Jessica was about as interesting as a yappy little dog.

"I'll bet anything it won't last," Vera sniffed.

Why Bella? I still wondered after I had nodded mutely and walked away. It's not like I felt the same resentment for her that Vera had – sure, I still didn't think she was anything special, but I didn't resent her for going out with Edward. It puzzled me how she was able to break through his shell. Perhaps she wasn't quite so normal after all. Maybe the spell she'd casted over the entire town had even extended over Edward Cullen.

During the day, I saw the famous couple only once. After Science, I walked down the Gym hallway to find them walking towards me in the opposite direction, holding hands.


	10. Stories

_A/N: Hey guys! I'm hoping you'll like this update, as it's the longest yet! Lots of stuff happens, and if you blink you might miss it! Keep your eyes peeled, folks! I hope your little fingers are ready tot ype themselves silly with reviews on this one - opinions, opinions, opinions! Tell me everything that ran through your mind as your read! I have the utmost respect and admiration from my readers, and I want to hear from them!  
_

Lost in thought, I hardly minded trudging home in the rain. Jessica and Angela had to stay after school for the event-planning committee, since the spring dance was this weekend. I wasn't planning on going – dances weren't exactly my idea of fun.

I walked into an empty house, remembering belatedly that my mother had volunteered to help out in the twin's classroom that afternoon. I decided against vegging out in front of the TV until she came home, since she would be stressed enough as is.

Going up to my room to do homework, I remembered that my sister had taken the laptop we shared to work on a paper last night. I figured she wouldn't mind if I went in her room to get it.

Angela's room was always neat and bright. The bed as perfectly made, save for the incongruous tissue paper and rumpled, shimmery fabric cast about on top of the comforter. I left the door open behind me and went over to examine it. It wasn't like Angela to leave any sort of mess.

The fabric was a dress, long and flowing, made of pale pink fabric hat I knew matched my sister's skin tone beautifully. I sighed almost wistfully, thinking about the fun she was going to have, since she'd finally gotten the courage to ask Eric.

"What are you doing?"

I spun around to face Angela, feeling guilty even though the question had been quiet and calm.

"I came in to get the laptop and saw your dress. It's really pretty – I'm sure Eric will love you in it!" I shot her a sly look as she came to stand beside me, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were on the garment.

"Yeah." Her voice was very soft.

I wanted to lift her inexplicably low spirits, so I continued on this track, sure that talk of Eric would lure her out of her dreary mood.

"Do you think he'll kiss you?" I asked, grinning. That got her attention – her eyes snapped up to meet mine.

"I certainly hope he doesn't try – I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings."

This caught me off guard. "What? You don't want Eric to kiss you? You've liked him forever."

I took the surprise in her eyes to mean that she hadn't realized I'd caught on to her secret until she started to laugh. "Eric? You think I'm attracted to _Eric_?"

I blinked. "Aren't you?"



"No!" she finally got her laughter under control and tried to look at me gravely, but a twinkle still remained in her eye. "Don't you _dare _tell Jessica or Vera – oh, come on, Lizzie, you know she worships Jess and will tell her – but I would actually love to go out with Ben Cheney." She picked at the hem of her dress in embarrassment, eyes pointedly avoiding mine.

"I had no idea," I said. "Why didn't you ask him?"

"He's dating Katie Marshall, remember? Of all people, you should know that."

"Oh, yeah - I forgot." Vera's younger sister, Katie, was a freshman. This was turning into more of a mess than I would have imagined, but the topic reminded me of what I had meant to ask her when she got home.

"Speaking of dating, what about Bella and Edward Cullen?"

"According to Jessica, " she said, rolling her eyes to show what little stock she put into information from Jessica, "Edward and Bella have been secretly dating for a while now. Edward's even taking her to Seattle this Saturday, which is why she's not coming to the dance."

"And she didn't mention this to you when you guys went dress shopping yesterday?"

"Well, Bella told us that she was going to go look for a bookstore instead of going for a walk with us, then didn't show up where we decided to meet for food. We got really worried, but she ended up arriving just as we were leaving the restaurant. She was with Edward Cullen. He took her to dinner and drove her home."

I whistled. "Why didn't you mention this yesterday?"

She shrugged. "I just figured they'd run into each other, and that he was being polite. I never imagined that they were seeing each other in secret or anything. Besides, I didn't think you'd care very much."

I nodded absently, suddenly recalling the homework that I had to do before Jacob came. I probably only had about twenty more minutes until we had to go visit Quil.

"Can I have the laptop for a bit?" I asked.

Angela waved her hand, indicating that I should go ahead, and started for the closet with her dress. A car horn sounded just as I started walking down the hall. I sighed and returned the computer to Angela, letting her know where I was going before grabbing my coat and going outside, ducking my head against the chilly drizzle. The car in the driveway wasn't Jacob's, but Harry Clearwater's pickup. I was surprised that Leah still consented to drive the boys around. What was her reasoning?

I decided that there were too many questions buzzing around in my head at the moment to allow sufficient time for this one.

I peered in the window, trying to find an available seat, but finally threw open the door closest to me. Embry glared at me in annoyance as he scooted over, Seth now in the spot they'd cleared for me on the other side of the truck.

"Hey, Small Fry," Jacob teased from the passenger seat. His tone reminded me of Eric, and I scowled.

"We're the same age," I reminded him.

"I know that, but I'm at _least _twice your size."

It was a truth I'd never really noticed before. The La Push boys had grown at least a foot since the beginning of the year. Embry was the largest, but Jacob was quickly catching up. The only one who still seemed to be growing at a normal pace was Seth, and I figured this was because he was still young. I marveled for a moment while everyone in the truck stared at me blankly, expecting a comeback.

Leah changed the subject after a moment. "Leave it to you to live on the end of town furthest from the Rez. Now I have to drive all the way back to Old Quil's, then drive you home later!"

"Jacob will drive her home," Embry offered quickly, inexplicably eager. Jacob shot him a curious look before agreeing. Leah _hmmph_ed. She had obviously been happier complaining than she was with having a solution.

Though Leah griped, the drive was actually no longer than fifteen minutes. Quil and his grandfather lived near Embry, by the reservation's singular store. His house, like most in La Push, was small and cheerfully neat.

Leah pulled into the driveway, towards the house's large picture window that looked into the living room. It gave us a clear view of two people - one small and bent, one huge – sitting on the couch.

Even from where I was seated in the back, I could see Leah's knuckles go white on the steering wheel.

"Um, Leah?" Jacob prodded after a moment of sitting silently in the idling truck. "Are we getting out?"

I had an idea of what was going on and if I was right, there was no telling what could happen. I shot a panicked look at Seth, who stared back with just as much alarm.

"Get out of the car." Leah's voice was low and even. "I'm not going in. Get out and find your own way home."

"We were already going to drive - "

"Get. Out."

"But - "

"Jacob!" I finally hissed. "Just get out of the truck!" As if to teach through example, I opened my own door. Jacob slowly followed.

"I'll go home with you, Leah," I heard Seth say from within.

"Yeah, you guys live on the other end of the Rez, so that's probably best," Embry responded, though the remark hadn't been directed at him. He looked intensely pleased with himself as he scrambled out of the vehicle.

"C'ya, Seth," I said, standing on my tiptoes to see over Embry's shoulder as he turned to slam the door. Seth gave me a little wave and I turned away.

"Embry - " I heard Seth say as I joined Jacob up the driveway, but Embry shushed him and slammed the door. His expression was hard as he approached.

Leah sped off half a second after Embry stepped away. I winced at her rush.

"I don't understand her at all," Jacob murmured, scratching his head.

"You will in a minute, ass," I responded acidly. Jacob blinked, more confused than ever. I motioned for him to knock on the door. He obeyed.

" …Be _Embry_, not - " Quil's grandfather answered the door while conversing with the other person in the adjoining room, not looking to see who had knocked until the door was wide open. When he saw us all, he blinked for a moment in midsentence before regaining composure.

"Jake! Embry! It's good to see you boys. Come on in – Oh, who's your friend?" He turned his warm smile on me. His teeth were as shockingly white against his deep brown skin as his hair.

"Hey, Old Quil - nice to see you again too - this is Lizzie Weber, Andrew and Julia's daughter."

Old Quil was already nodding. "Of course! You look just like your father. He used to attend a woodshop I ran. How are you and your family, my dear?"

"Fine, thank you," I replied politely.

"Well, look who we have here."

It was a deep, pleasant male voice that could only belong to one person – Sam Uley. He stepped out of the den, grinning.



"Oh. Oh, _man_," Jacob breathed so only I could hear, finally comprehending Leah's actions. I nodded minutely.

At a staggering six feet, seven inches, Sam Uley was a tower of muscle. Embry slapped him on the arm familiarly and, after a moment, so did Jacob. I could only simply smile my greeting.

"Well, you boys know the way," Old Quil said, turning back to his own guest. "It was nice to meet you, Lizzie."

I followed Jacob and Embry down the short hallway off the kitchen to the third, and last, door on the right. Without knocking, Embry shoved it open.

Quil's room could only be described as a war zone. His bed, which took up the entire back half of the room though it was just a box spring and mattress, was piled with clothes and pillows. Quil, with his leg propped on a cushion, sat on the floor amongst dirty plates and empty food wrappers, staring intently at the screen of the little TV on the opposite wall.

"'Sup, Quil?" Embry managed before being violently shushed. We crammed ourselves inside and shut the door.

"What?" Jacob glanced at the TV. "Dude, it's a Spanish soap opera. You can't even understand it."

Quil glared at Jacob as if he was the least intelligent person on the planet, which shut him up immediately. I sat on the floor beside Quil, not wanting to risk making the box spring squeak and most sure I could fit amongst the mess anyways. The boys stayed standing. After several moments of silence, Quil relaxed visibly and sighed.

"Okay, he's gone," he said, flicking the volume of the television up and switching to a music video station. "Oh, hey! I love this song."

I watched the black-clad men ripping apart their instruments with some trepidation as Jacob and Embry stared at Quil.

"What was _that _about?" Embry asked, flopping on the bed. Jacob slid to the floor with his back pressed against the door, since there was no room anywhere else. He dragged a few half-eaten bags of chips out of his way.

"I was listening to Sam and my grandfather – In case you didn't _notice_, geniuses, my TV was muted."

"I apologize - I didn't realize you'd be bored enough without our company to eavesdrop on Old Quil. Sorry, dude, but that's just pathetic."

Quil didn't seem to be listening anymore. He looked around at all of us, expression grim and more than a little frightened.

"I have to tell you guys something."


End file.
